North Bend baby makes remarkable recovery after brain surgery

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NORTH BEND, ORE.- For one North Bend family, it was their worst nightmare come true, back one morning in 2010.

But their story has a happy ending, and it is one they want to share to help others..

"I thought, no way. I don't know. Are you sure?"

It was April 1, 2010 when David Stauff and his wife woke up to their baby of 3 months having a seizure.

After laying there for a minute, baby Evan started having full generalized seizures.

"It was unlike anything I had seen before. I have never seen a seizure" says Evan's father, David Stauff.

Right then, David and his wife rushed Evan to their local doctor.

"And it just happened again and again. So, quickly we got him to the Emergency room and from there he was ordered to life flight to OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital."

After neurological testing, baby Evan was diagnosed with a very catastrophic form of epilepsy called Infantile Spasms, and it can do a lot of damage to young children.

After 7 different medications and diets failed, doctors recommended they seek additional help at the UCLA Medical Center, in their Neurosurgery program.

While there, the family found out Evan was a prime candidate for a surgery called Hemispherectomy.

The surgery, which lasted about 12 hours, removed the left hemisphere of Evan's brain.

Evan slept for a full day, and when he awoke, his family says it was like meeting the real Evan.

"Immediately after the surgery it was night and day to us. It was incredible. The signs of development that we were seeing back with him. For him to start speaking. To start responding to nurses, to family members and other hospital staff coming into the room, was just remarkable."

Six months post surgery, and Evan is now able to roll over and verbalize new tones.

"He is strengthening. He is continuing down a road of success with his development and we are happy with him right now and where he is. We couldn't be more happier."

Now, because Evan's left hemisphere was removed, the right side of his body is a bit weaker than the left.

But, over time, through training and repetition, Evan will be able to re-train his brain to compensate.

But even now, just meeting baby Evan, you are not able to see any signs of the struggle he and his family have been through.

"We are still dealing with it. We're still looking ahead to the future, and knowing that we have a long road with Evan, and that we're not going to give up. And we are going to help others along the way as well."

Evan and his family are now taking it day by day and enjoying the more fundamental learning stages that their son is going through.

Medical bills are still pretty large, as they need to make regular trips to LA for check-ups.

If you would like to help the Stauff family, an account is set up at US Bank under the name of Evan Stauff.

For more information about Infantile spasms or more on Evan's story, you can go to his website at www.evanstauff.com